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W7 Rainmeter > W10

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MourningStar
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W7 Rainmeter > W10

Post by MourningStar »

Happy Halloween All -

Well, my W7 machine is showing it's age so I now have a new W10 pc. I'm sure this topic is 'somewhere' here but my searches have failed me. Perhaps I am using the wrong term/s. What are the steps I take to get my 'personalized' W7 Rainmeter over to my new device?

:confused:
-thx
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balala
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Re: W7 Rainmeter > W10

Post by balala »

MourningStar wrote: October 31st, 2020, 4:02 pm What are the steps I take to get my 'personalized' W7 Rainmeter over to my new device?
There might be some utilities you can use to transfer the files, including Rainmeter skins as well, but this probably are transfering the skins only and on the new PC you have to load manually the desired skins. So, the transfer can be done even manually and here is how (supposing you've installed Rainmeter to the new PC):
  • Completely close Rainmeter (probably not absolutely necessary, but I recommend).
  • Copy the whole Skins folder to your new PC. The path of the Skins folder is usually this: C:\Users\YourName\Documents\Rainmeter\Skins.
  • Open Rainmeter's Manage dialog (click Rainmeter icon in the Notification Area) and click the second (Layouts) tab. Save the current layout with certain name (for instance MyLayout).
  • Copy the content of the c:\Users\YourName\AppData\Roaming\Rainmeter\Layouts\ folder to the same location on the new PC.
  • Launch Rainmeter on your new PC.
  • Load the same layout you've saved on the old PC (MyLayout in the previous example). Hope you know how.
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MourningStar
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Re: W7 Rainmeter > W10

Post by MourningStar »

Thx balala - your steps seem understandable to me. My only concern is …

"Open Rainmeter's Manage dialog (click Rainmeter icon in the Notification Area) and click the second (Layouts) tab. Save the current layout with certain name (for instance MyLayout)."

… because the old pc is not available at the moment. If there is not alternate/work around to this step let me know and I will try and make it available.
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balala
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Re: W7 Rainmeter > W10

Post by balala »

MourningStar wrote: October 31st, 2020, 7:06 pm … because the old pc is not available at the moment. If there is not alternate/work around to this step let me know and I will try and make it available.
If it's not available, do you have transfered the skins from that one? If you did, the only alternative is to load manually one by one the skins you want to use on the new PC.
If you don't have transfered the skins, then you have to maually install them to the new PC, then (again) load them one by one.
I still believe the simplest solution would be to make available the old PC, as said and follow the described steps.
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MourningStar
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Re: W7 Rainmeter > W10

Post by MourningStar »

I did a backup of my old pc's AppData folder and there is a folder named Layout (image attached). Is this one sufficient?

Also, when I installed the new pc's Rainmeter there is a folder labeled Skins now. I believe you want me to overwrite it with the old one, yes?
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balala
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Re: W7 Rainmeter > W10

Post by balala »

MourningStar wrote: October 31st, 2020, 9:29 pm I did a backup of my old pc's AppData folder and there is a folder named Layout (image attached). Is this one sufficient?
It's enough probably to copy the Rainmeter.ini file, which stores the current layout. Gadgets Welcome is a saved layout, which if you copy will be usable onto the new computer as well. But for current layout copy Rainmeter.ini onto the same location on the new PC, overwriting the existing Rainmeter.ini (which for sure exists on the new PC as well).
MourningStar wrote: October 31st, 2020, 9:29 pm Also, when I installed the new pc's Rainmeter there is a folder labeled Skins now. I believe you want me to overwrite it with the old one, yes?
Don't completely overwrite it, best would be to copy just what on the new PC don't exist. This way you can store what you have on the new PC, but didn't have on the old one (if such skins exist).
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MourningStar
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Re: W7 Rainmeter > W10

Post by MourningStar »

balala wrote: October 31st, 2020, 9:36 pmIt's enough probably...
"probably"??? - that word scares me.

give me the tried and true way.
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balala
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Re: W7 Rainmeter > W10

Post by balala »

MourningStar wrote: October 31st, 2020, 9:51 pm "probably"??? - that word scares me.
Why? As said, Rainmeter.ini stores the current layout, with the currently loaded skins. If you copy this and copy it to the new PC, then start Rainmeter, you get loaded the same skins on the new PC (supposing they do exist here as well).
If you copy Gadgets Welcome as well you gonna get this layout as well into the Layout tab of the Manage dialog. Then you can load it manaully if you want.
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MourningStar
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Re: W7 Rainmeter > W10

Post by MourningStar »

balala wrote: October 31st, 2020, 9:36 pm... But for current layout copy Rainmeter.ini onto the same location on the new PC, overwriting the existing Rainmeter.ini (which for sure exists on the new PC as well).
more confusion for me, there are 2 Rainmeter.ini file in old pc. One in folder Roaming/Rainmeter and one in folder Roaming/Rainmeter/Layouts.

:confused:
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jsmorley
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Re: W7 Rainmeter > W10

Post by jsmorley »

balala wrote: October 31st, 2020, 9:59 pm Why? As said, Rainmeter.ini stores the current layout, with the currently loaded skins. If you copy this and copy it to the new PC, then start Rainmeter, you get loaded the same skins on the new PC (supposing they do exist here as well).
If you copy Gadgets Welcome as well you gonna get this layout as well into the Layout tab of the Manage dialog. Then you can load it manaully if you want.
I would be hesitant to just copy Rainmeter.ini from one machine to another. The risk is that the location of your Skins folder is different on your new machine, and forcing the existing value for the SkinPath option can result in problems. In addition, your existing Rainmeter.ini is almost certain to be just loaded with cruft you don't need from skins you don't even use or have anymore. Start clean...

I think I would do the following:

1) Create a Layout on the old machine that will track all the skins, positions, and other skin-related settings you have now.
Check the box "Exclude unloaded skins".

2) Install a fresh new copy of Rainmeter on the new machine. That will create a default Skins and AppData\Roaming\Rainmeter folder and appropriate content.
3) Exit Rainmeter on the new machine.
4) Copy over the folder ..Documents\Rainmeter\Skins and put it on the new machine.
5) Copy over the folder ..AppData\Roaming\Rainmeter\Layouts and put it on the new machine.
6) Copy over the folder ..AppData\Roaming\Rainmeter\Plugins and put it on the new machine.
7) Start Rainmeter on the new machine, and load the Layout you saved above.

All you want to save and copy over are the following:

The ..Documents\Rainmeter\Skins folder
This will have all the 3rd party skins you have installed or created.
The ..AppData\Roaming\Rainmeter\Layouts folder
This will have the Layout you save that will know what skins you want loaded.
The ..AppData\Roaming\Rainmeter\Plugins
This will have any 3rd party plugins that were installed with any skins you added.

You want NOTHING else to be moved over...

I would note that in the unlikely event that you are moving from 32bit Windows 7 to 64bit Windows 10, the issue of the "Plugins" folder will become exponentially harder. The plugins there simply won't work, and you are going to have to find the skins you installed and install them again in order to get 64bit versions of the plugins. I fervently hope that this isn't the case...
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